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Dunkin' Donuts doesn't want to see Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray's proposed ban on polystyrene food containers take effect, said spokeswoman Lindsay Harrington, because the current lack of a 100% recyclable paper cup would "simply replace one type of trash with another." The chain, which continues to serve its coffee in cups made of plastic foam, has 16 franchises in the District.

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U.S. restaurants and bars reported an average of 7,640 fires annually between 2006 and 2010, along with an annual average of two deaths, 115 injuries and $246 million in property losses, according to the National Fire Protection Agency. Preparation is key to preventing fires that have the potential to permanently shut down a restaurant, writes Mike Rosenau of Society Insurance, who shares tips on how to keep eateries safe from the flames.

Lawmakers continued discussions during the weekend but failed to come to terms on deals that would allow the federal government to reopen or raise the debt ceiling before the Thursday deadline, an issue of great concern to the restaurant industry, said Scott DeFife, NRA's executive vice president of policy and government affairs. "Consumer confidence is critical. Any financial issue like this can really put a damper on activity," he said.

Dunkin' Donuts launched a test this week of a double-walled paper coffee cup to replace its foam containers in Brookline, Mass., where the foam cups will be outlawed after Dec. 1. The chain lags behind rivals including Starbucks when it comes to developing a recyclable alternative to the foam cups that hold most of the 1.7 billion cups of coffee it sells each year. "This is an important and complicated issue, and we want to take every step to make sure that we get this right," said spokeswoman Michelle King.

A proposal by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg would ban plastic-foam food packaging and require restaurants in the city to use environmentally friendly materials instead. "Although a viable cup solution does not exist today, we are taking a holistic approach to the issue that we believe will be more effective in the long term than a polystyrene ban," said Karen Raskopf, chief communications officer for Dunkin' Brands. The ban would include cups, takeout boxes and trays, and some restaurants have already taken measures to minimize waste, including Dunkin' Donuts, which has reduced the weight of foam cups and implemented a reusable mug initiative.

The City Council in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday banned foam-plastic food and beverage containers at large public events on city property. The council also specified which kind of plastic cup that vendors may use at the big events.